Of Caverns and Companions
by Alto-Jazz
Summary: Starting off on the wrong foot, Vanellope and Calhoun find themselves in a bleak situation that only working together they can find their way out of. These two characters are in for a wild ride. Vanellope/Calhoun bonding. Bit of Hero's Cuties
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there! First Official Fan fiction I'm a bit surprised it is not completely Hero's Cuties.. Oh don't get me wrong! There is a bit here and there, but like I said..Not completely. No, this story is about Vanellope and Calhoun. These two characters I don't even believe were even introduced in the movie, However I won't spoil anything. I believe this first chapter needs a bit of an explanation first. As I said earlier, I don't believe these two characters were introduced in the movie, so It begins with them still not ever properly meeting, although a decent amount of time has passed. I hope you find this story to your liking because I just had to put it down officially somewhere.**

Engines roared and Tires screeched as sixteen distinct, Candy-covered Go-Karts accelerated past the audience stands uprooting toffee and fudge mud in their wake. The little racers swerved between each other constantly, causing the mud to be slung all over the audience stands. Three certain individuals seated in a reserved location received a nice surprise as the mud caked their clothes and became embedded in their hair.

"What are ya doin' kid?! the lead is right open! GET UP THERE!" a nine foot tall giant of a man boomed into the air.

"You're doing great Vanellope! We are all so proud! Keep up the good work!" a much smaller man cheered merrily as he viewed the action from afar.

Felix continued to beam a pearly white grin. That is until he felt two pairs of eyes bore into the back of his skull. He rotated his head behind him where his two friends were positioned and his sweet dinky grin fell into a nervous and uneasy smile. Two very un-amused faces glanced down upon his delighted features with strong reproach. The adorable little handyman smiled apologetically back up at them. The blonde just rolled her eyes.

"For Mods sake Felix," Calhoun complained attempting to rub crusted candy from atop her head, "Why did you drag me to this sugary sink hole of hell." She continued to bellyache in her new boyfriend's direction.

"Well Ma'm, Miss Vanellope down there-"

"Who now?" Calhoun interrupted.

"You know who Miss Vanellope is, Dontcha?" Felix began with certainty, but offered a look of confusion as Calhoun's eyes were blank..ready for an answer to her question.

"She is the small one down there with candy in her hair." Ralph stated nonchalantly.

"Congratulations Idiot.. You just successfully described over half of the residents of this mod forsaken game." Calhoun retorted becoming slightly ornery.

"Well it is NOT my fault you are unabl-"

"RaaAALPH!" whined Felix as he pleaded his co-worker to shut up before Calhoun blows a gasket. Then he focused his attention back on Calhoun to give her the answer she desired.

"Do you remember when we kissed on the bridge over there?" Felix continued to focus his eyes upon Calhoun while shooting his thumb in the direction of Sugar Rush's entrance.

"Look short-stack..What the heck does this have to do-" Calhoun begun

"Wait! -What were we doing before that happened?" Felix questioned before she could.

"Shooting the living carcasses also known as Cy-Bugs into bug oblivion" She matter-of-factually stated without skipping a beat. Felix sighed as she continued to miss his point.

"Who were we protecting..." Felix hinted and smiled a bit as Calhoun's eyes lit up with understanding.

"Wait... You guys kissed when we saved Sugar Rush?! BLECH! OH GROSS!" Ralph sputtered, causing a sharp glare from Calhoun and a passive look from Felix. Nevertheless, he shut up about it.

"That glitched up candy kid is Vanellope..I don't- Wait.. Oh now it makes sense." She trailed off as Felix and Ralph shared a look in secret.

She peered back up to the chaos that was the clump of racers inching closer to the finish line. The closer the end was, the more elevated the friction was between those around the lead. No one was able to pinpoint who was in that position anyways. Metal and candy shattered eachother's sides like cheese-graters Things were beginning to become tense. The racers nearing the stands again, Calhoun pulled Felix into her lap and shrunk her head into the base of his neck. Shocked by this immediate display of affection, which wasn't like her at all, Felix felt Honey glows rise up to his cheeks in a furious blush. He was nearly about to cuddle back when a wave of Toffee and Fudge slapped him across the face like a tidal wave. His eyes grew wide, his face blanked out, and his smile compressed into a tight thin line across his face as he realized his girlfriend used him as a living meat-shield. In return, Calhoun rubbed her gloved hand in small circles on and around his cheek to wipe off the mud and planted a small kiss..well half kiss half lick when she realized his face tasted good. She pulled back quickly when she realized she was dangerously close to have an extreme make out session with his face. Needless to say, Felix's honey glows were back.

Startling the group, The announcer began babbling out unintelligible nonsense from excitement as Vanellope glitched from 5th place to 1st.. just in the nick of time as the racers scraped past the finish line. Fans of all different flavors roared as they were breath taken my the climatic display of the excitement of the day's Random Roster Race.  
Both Ralph and Felix sprung in a tight hug, fresh tears flowing from immediate happiness from the unexpected win of little Vanellope Von Schweets. Calhoun glanced at the sappy sight beside her and gave a strong scowl in their direction. Strong enough to bring concerned looks in her direction.

"Don't get your panties in a wad ladies... That cute little trick cavity kid pulled down there isn't enough to pull out the water works ya bunch of pussie-willows." She glared daggers, efficiently concerning both parties.

Felix was nearly about to ask what was wrong, but a patch of blue light sputtered in front of them violently and massed together like atoms to form a tiny physique.

"DID YA SEE ME?! DID YA SEE ME?! OH SWEET MOTHER OF MONKEY MILK THAT WAS SO SWEET! DID YOU SEE THE LOOK ON TAFFYTA'S FACE AS I WHIPPED PAST HER! I WAS ALL LIKE-ZOOM,VROOM, WIIUUSH, BLASAPT." Vanellope sounded out random plane and car noises.

"Those Babies don't even know what hit them I'm so good.." Vanellope shrugged with great amusement, passing her victory off as if she could have done it in her sleep. Calhoun caught the young racer's hand on it though.

"Pfft.. I've seen Water Buffaloes that could fly better that you can drive short stuff." Calhoun flatly stated.

Felix and Ralph gave her severely upset and confused faces and Vanellope spun around to face the program that dared to speak that sentence.

"What the? Who are y.." Vanellope began to trail off when the sight of the older woman triggered her memory a bit.

"Wait! You are that crazy gun-woman killing people and .. and.. GOING..CRAZY! Yeah, That's it! Going absolutely bonkers!" Vanellope stuttered, trying to think up some clever retort, attempting to match the venom that surrounded every work the Sargent spoke, but falling a bit short. Vanellope began to become more irritated by the second.

" I was saving your life and your game. You should thank me you little Sour Patch brat. I see you can't thank as well as you can't drive." Calhoun spat, pressing her index finger against her tiny nose in a harsh manner. This caused Vanellope to flush with anger being talked down upon by someone she wasn't even properly acquainted to.

"TAMORA!" Felix huffed, absolutely dumbfounded she would utter such words. Calhoun was greatly displeased at the sound of her first name, but decided that it could wait for later. Vanellope though was becoming as red as a cherry and tears began to well up at the corners of her eyes.

"Well Ralph saved us, I should thank him instead of a big meanie butt like YOU!" seethed Vanellope.

" Are you kidding me?! The big pallooza was the one who started the whole mess in the first place. Don't you know anything kid." She stated.

"HEY! DON"T BRING ME INTO YOUR ARGUMENT! " Ralph bellowed.

"Well you shouldn't have asked for it by nearly KILLING US ALL!" Calhoun retorted. She stopped short to look at her ankles to find the small kid pounding her balled up fists at the armor at her thighs.

"DON'T TALK TO HIM THAT WAY YOU BIG JERK!" Cried Vanellope. Tears were flowing from her eyes from the amount of anger this person brought her at the moment.

"Get off me you little Cavity!" Snapped Calhoun as she tried to push her away. Felix had nearly had enough. He opened his mouth to stop the commotion, but something cut him off. Ralph, out of frustration, slammed his fists violently into the stands without a though about the consequences. Felix fell flat on his face as the popcorn stand they were seated upon shook an alarming amount and nearly toppled over.  
Vanellope, at its edge, swing her arms in a frantic motion as she attempted to balance on its side. A long way to fall, Vanellope gave a small, extremely frightened yelp as she toppled over the side.

Without a second thought. Calhoun dove out of the stand towards Vanellope and grabbed her leg to reel her in tight against her chest as she balled over her still in mid-air. Vanellope found it very hard to breath for a few moments as time began to slow.

CrrRRAACKK

"What was that?! Vanellope's mind raced. flashes of light peered into her vision from around Calhoun's arm wrapped across her face and waist from when they were falling stopped Instead everything became darker, but her stomach continued to flip. She was still falling. She held onto the mean Sargent even tighter.

The two hit the ground and bounced around like a sack of potatoes. Vanellope rolled away from Calhoun's grasp into something hard , then.. the already black world began to fuzz and become even darker.

"..id...kid...HEY WAKE UP!" A nearby voice shouted a bit to harshly  
Vanellope jolted upright and smacked her skull into something rock solid. Pain shot through her forehead as her brain battered around her head for a moment

"OH MY MOD! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" a voice, now that she thinks about it she realizes that it is Calhoun, wailed from above.

"Wha?!-What Happened?! Where, What , Why, How?" Vanellope spat out faster than a motorboat Calhoun pressed a gloved hand over her lips to shut the child up. When she had her attention the Sargent rolled upright into a seating position with her legs crossed looking intensely at Vanellope, all the while she pointed a delicate finger northwards. Vanellope's eyes trailed up slowly from her finger to the sky. What she saw was no sky at all, but a ceiling.

A small hole of light shed just enough for Vanellope to make out distinct features on Calhoun's obviously upset face.

"We fell." Calhoun stated blankly, intending on the young racer to understand the severity of their situation.

"Yeah, I know." Vanellope stated a bit confused. Calhoun stopped her and gave an even deeper stare as she repeated.

"No, We Fell." She pointed around this time. Vanellope could faintly make out a few shapes and formations around her. Vanellope's eyes grew as she continued to peer to her surroundings. Slabs, alcoves, rock walls. Her heart sank as she now realized Calhoun's anxiety, and the severity of their situation.

They were underground.


	2. Chapter 2

Calhoun stood upright to survey the immediate area. Trying to get a grasp on the situation was the only thing that was going to ease her nerves at the moment, so she gave it a whirl.

"Tch. This must be one of the underground caverns left over from those Dam-" Calhoun stopped before she finished the word. Her eyes narrowed and rolled over to the small girl to her left. "Cy-bugs."

With every passing second, Vanellope squirmed with unease. It was dark, extremely large, and quite morbid looking for a happy-go-lucky game known as Sugar Rush. It didn't help that..Calhoun was it? She only added onto her dread. Also, the mention of Cy-bugs set her a bit unbalanced and she stood up in rapid fear. Vanellope backed into a nearby rock slab as her eyes darted around and her breathing quickened. She grabbed onto the rock to keep her steady and balanced. She was starting to become uneasy and lose balance in her legs.

Calhoun, focusing on a game plan, was nearly to distracted to notice Vanellope back into a rock. I only said "nearly" though. Calhoun cocked her head a bit to the side to watch the frightened girl out of the corner of her eyes from underneath her disheveled side bangs with a small grimace She watched the little girl tremble in fear, eyes beginning to water once more. It was obvious that she terrified the girl. Calhoun lowered her eyes to the ground in a quick burst of guilt and remorse, but it didn't last long. For she shook the thought before it barely begun to take form.

Ignoring the helpless trembles and soft whimpers, Calhoun rotated her head around in the other direction to continue to scout. Her brows raised and eyes grew larger with relief as she found the Center cavern ( it was so large it must have been the central location ) broke off into several passage ways. There were several, and she had no idea where the bloody hell any of them lead to, she decided the best move to make right now was to keep her feet moving and find an exit to this bloody hell hole.

With a quick rotation of her heels, Calhoun pulled out a flashlight she kept on her and headed in a certain direction. Vanellope realized that the older woman was walking away from her position without a word spoken. Terror struck her heart as she realized that Calhoun had no intentions of waiting for her to catch up. Even if she wanted to tag along, Vanellope's legs felt like Jelly. She attempted to push a leg in Calhoun's direction, but instead it buckled from underneath her. her grasp on the rock loosened and she had nothing to hold herself up with as she quickly collapsed where she previously stood. A quick glance up and she realized that Calhoun had nearly left this immediate area. Panic lurched from her gut. Although she did not particularly like this woman at all, she had a light, a gun, and she looked as if she had a plan in that stupid head of hers. Watching her trail even further away, Vanellope panicked.

"WAIT," Vanellope cried, upset at how desperate and pleading her voice was.

And for a moment, Calhoun paused...She did not turn, she did not do anything. The cease of her progressing forward was the only indication that she even heard her.

"What are you doing?" Vanellope questioned. Every word she spoke became more cracked and uneven. The pitch at the end of her question raised high with a large dosage of fear.

"What does it look like I'm doing" Calhoun stated.

Vanellope was quite taken aback from how eerily calm Calhoun's response was. With another try, Vanellope pushed her arms against the cold bedrock ground to push herself into a standing position, but failed once again as her knee gave in and she face planted onto the ground. Sharp pain smacked her jaw, Vanellope couldn't hold in a quick wail in pain. Her face hurt a great amount, so much her eyes became blurry from tears staining her vision. She glanced back up and Calhoun still stood there with her back turned away from her face and head hanging a bit lower.

"Are you, J...J-just goin' t-to lea-ave me here a-...alone?!" Vanellope struggled to get out as her voice became as defeated and desperate as it could become. Her voice was choppy and broken and she quickly gasped for air in between her sobs.

Calhoun said nothing. For what seemed like a millennium, she just stood there with her head lowered and back still faced away from the pleading child.

With no words or warning, she walked away. Deeper into the cavern.

"..S-s-STOP I-IT! PLE-EASE! DON'T L-LEAVE M-M-M-ME HERE-E_** A-ALONE**_!" Vanellope shrieked with no reply. Her sobs became deeper and more frequent. Hot tears poured down the sides of her cheeks. Vanellope continued to gasp for air, but it became increasingly more difficult to breathe. Unable to control her emotions anymore, her body glitched violently as she drifted back and fourth from a recognizable sprite to a mass of blue coding. Her wail echoed throughout the caverns as she completely collapsed to the ground.

She was alone.

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**Before all of you guys say anything or tell me you are going to beat me with a stick for putting Vanellope through that. I have to say I broke down in tears halfway through writing this. I am still tearing up now. Please stick with me! I swear it will get better! By the way, thank you to everyone who posted on the previous chapter! You guys gave me serious Honeyglows! :) **  
**Thank Ya Kindly!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hours passed.

Or so it seemed. Vanellope had no notion of time. She just sat there, curled against a rock slab...Helpless. She was pathetic, and she hated that. Her sorrow melted away and was replaced with flashes of anger. She completely revealed every bit of raw emotion she had to someone she didn't even know. The thought of her actions only intensified her building rage. Before she knew it, she released her rage in a furious bout of words.

" I _**HATE**_ YOU!

"GET OUT OF HERE! NO ONE NEEDS YOU!" Vanellope shouted, releasing her words into the bare cavern, knowing full and all too well that there were no ears for her words to fall upon.

She let out one last sob and uttered the sentence, trailing off at the end.

"I don't need you..."

Strangely, her words seeped a new found determination into her nearly broken spirit. She positioned her arms on the bedrock in front of her once more. She pushed up.

Nearly to her feet, her knees buckled again. Falling to her face.

Her determination only grew. Struggling she began again. Quickly placing her feet underneath her as she pushed up, she gave the strongest push yet, and with that she was on her feet. Stumbling backwards a tad from the forcefulness of her push she wobbled and teetered dangerously on her two legs for a moment before she regained balance. She was back up.

Easing her fears of not being able to move from a standing position, she shuffled forward her right leg. Subsequently, her left leg and right again were shuffled forward. With more confidence with each step she took she began to walk normally again, picking up one foot after the other. Vanellope grinned for a split second when she realized that she didn't need The Sargent now. She was able to get away if something happened. Completely relieved, she began to take action on her plan to return to the surface.

Rotating her head around, she gave a good look in all directions. Nothing she saw looked promising. Everything looked the same, Doom and Gloom. Her small amount of confidence was now diminished once again as she put together how lost she really was. Focusing intently at the ground, Vanellope's anger boiled in her code once again.

"She knew what to do, She knew where to go. Doesn't she have like.. a sixth sense for these things! ...GAH!" Vanellope muttered. Her eyes narrowing at the thought of the Sargent.

Vanellope knew that the Sargent didn't like her much, frankly she didn't like her either. The one thing Vanellope couldn't grasp is why she left her. What was so darn important that she left as soon as she could stand.

Suddenly, realization dawned on her like the morning sun, and she physically took a step back as the information was nearly too much to bear.

"I..I'm an inconvenience to her. I-I'm weak and useless, and..she left me to die here." Vanellope seethed inside after every word she spoke aloud. Although she would not perish for good as she is still in a part of her game. Granted, she had never seen a pixel of it before.

"What..was she going to just let me DIE HERE?!" Vanellope grabbed the nearest rock she could settle into her hands and chucked it. Nearly 60 feet away the rock clanged against the cavern wall. Her mind flashed back to one of the times when she first met Ralph. She remembered watching him in confusion to his ventilation of anger. Completely oblivious to his frustration at the time, she watched him pound over and over on a jawbreaker. Knowing his efforts were futile as Jawbreakers have never, ever been cracked before, she watched with a great deal of amusement until the candy was split in two. She had no idea what kind of frustration would be great enough to do that. This time though, she understood.

She felt a dangerous pang of sadness ring inside her like a bell. She halted before she broke down again.

"**NO**! Vanellope, prove her wrong! You don't need her. This is your game! Whether you realize it or not, you know this place." Vanellope did her best to convince herself.

On that note, she moved forward. Where she went she did not know, nor did she even care at this point. She needed to move, to find her way out, and it wasn't going to be set down in the center of her lap. She needed to grow up and face the world of characters like Calhoun.

Vanellope continued to drive herself forward. closing in near several different paths she could possibly take, she decided to wing it and see where the crossing took her. She gave one last glance back. She could see the dust ring her and Calhoun made when they fell from a distance. She also noticed the footprints of Calhoun's boot imprint that trailed into a different path. Eyes scrunching up with anger she looked away. Vanellope gave one last look towards the ceiling with the one little patch of light hundreds of feet above her. She spun back around and walked deeper into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**I really could not wait to write this chapter. I love writing about Calhoun! Her personality is a confusing one, but I love her character. I hope I portrayed her well. This was the most fun to write yet! Hope you enjoy! Also don't be afraid to throw a little comment in there! I have almost as much fun reading them as I do writing this. :) **

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Briskly walking down the path leaving the central cavern Calhoun continued. Confusion and irritation set in her code as she realized every step away was becoming increasingly harder to take. What was wrong with her? She didn't understand why.. and never would, but as Calhoun reached the passage she moved to the side out of view and just...stopped.

Now she was most certainly confused.

Leaning her body against the cool side of the cave she laid her head back against the rock and closed her eyes while sporting a lovely scowl on her face. What in mods name was she doing. She knew what the whole situation looked like to the pint sized kid, but she left her for her own good.

Who knows what mod forsaken things were down here. Anything ranging from chocolate covered bats to a rogue Cy-bug un-obliterated by Ralph's makeshift beacon a few months back. The little brat would only cause trouble for her and to herself. Besides, The central cavern was safe. She was absolutely certain nothing would come out of the darkness to a small, but effective flow of light they caused in the ceiling. If the girl had enough sense to keep her candy covered rear stuck to the ground she would be fine. She left her when she was unable to even stand in the first place.

So.. why did something feel awful in the center of her code.

Why did she feel the gnawing urge to return to the sobbing child and find a new plan from there. It was pure nonsense.

The feeling was unfamiliar and strange to the no-nonsense Sargent. She despised that. Clueless as what to do, she continued to lean against the wall tossing her contradicting thoughts around her brain for a good while.

Opening her eyes to a dim setting once more she did what she knew and had always done.  
She pushed her feelings into a dark corner of her heart and ignored them. She knew it was for the best, and their only way to escape this sink hole.

Without another thought, Calhoun pushed herself away from the wall to continue moving. She reached a distance all of three steps until Vanellope's cry halted her _dead_ in her tracks.

"I _**HATE**_ YOU!"

Calhoun's heart sank into a pit inside her stomach as pain caused her heart to lurch.  
Her eyes widened and brows arched from confusion and...was that... sympathy?

Calhoun spun around quickly and took a step back. Not being able to see where she stepped, she tumbled over a rock in her path behind her and fell hard on her backside. Immediately wanting to get out of earshot she attempted to raise herself back up.

"GET OUT OF HERE! NO ONE NEEDS YOU! The young girl screamed at the top of her lungs.

Calhoun did not move. she did not breathe or blink. She just sat there. Letting the words tear her insides. She caught herself again though, This emotion was beyond madness. Why did the words tear her code up from the inside out. The pain these words brought her were completely perplexing. She had no explanation for them.

Much like her strange love for the eight bit handyman, this bout of sadness was incomprehensible. Was it the fear and hurt in the young girl's voice that caused her to become upset? She left her...It was true that this kid strained her nerves back on the surface, but Calhoun was starting to doubt her actions. She _NEVER_ did this. The kid was immature and childish, but even Calhoun realized that her actions were harsh. Vanellope was hurt... she didn't deserve that.

"I don't need you.."

The words were so inaudible that Calhoun almost didn't catch them, yet those four little words had brought upon her the most intense wave of emotion.

As slicing as an arrow through her heart, whatever cold muscle that pumped blood through her veins was literally throbbing. Calhoun leaned against the wall still sitting and dropped her flashlight in her right hand. She pressed both hands against her face, tracing them slowly upwards to pull back her hair out of her face. Her face began to turn red and tears pricked the corners of her eyes..yes they were small, but they were there nonetheless. Vanellope's pathetic cry churned her code when she realized how hopeless and defeated she sounded. Her heart lurched once more as she realized she was the source of her shattered spirit.

Impulsively, she yanked her hands away from her face and balled her right hand into a firm fist and gave a hard pound into the wall. She was not going to give into emotions now. Violently shoving herself off the ground she grabbed her flash light and advanced down the cavern as rapidly as her legs would carry her.

The passage trailed on for great lengths as it took her a small while to reach the next opening at a full sprint. Her legs burned, but slowing down was NOT an option available at this moment . Calhoun saw a small, faint glow of light as she inched closer to the next opening. Relief flooded over her as she believed she had found an exit. Calhoun picked up speed with a grin spread across her features. Barreling through the opening she skidded to a halt.

The light she believed was another opening, one she would be able to reach and exit out of. However, the light that only moments ago seemed so warm and inviting became cold and unwanted. The glow originated from mushroom looking glow-pops embedded in the walls around her. Her frustration rising, she looked around to find another path to try out, but head flaying in every direction.. the only path was the one she came from.

Calhoun's eyes grew wide, she roared in irritation, "_DAMMIT_!"

In any other situation, she would just calmly resume her process without a word spoken. This was not the case.  
Her mind raced, locating any other answer than to attempt to shoot back down to path to the center and try again, no.. that would cause a confrontation.

Seeing as normal Calhoun would shrug it off and face things head on, she hesitated. She did not want to see the tiny racer... ever if she was honest with herself.

Before she spoke another word she felt another unfamiliar emotion cross her features.  
Shame.  
For, what. Maybe the first time ever in her existence she felt remorseful for the way she acted. It was a new emotion, and Calhoun could do without emotions, yet she still had them. It was signs of weakness, signs of a coward. She was a Sargent over a man's profession. Whatever humanity she had she realized a long time ago... you swallow it quick and don't puke up the remains.

For an un-modly reason.. she kept finding traces of humanity in her ever since she met Felix. Sometimes, it sickened her to her very core. However, it was persistent . and if she looked deep inside her she wanted to give in. She wanted to be happy and feel normal, but she only took small doses of humanity at times few and far between.

Defeated and without any new solutions to her dilemma, Calhoun brushed off. One foot at a time, she headed back down the passage knowing full and well the little racer would still be clumped in a disturbing heap on the cold bedrock.

Calhoun took her own sweet time heading back, but never stopped. She wan't one to shirk from anything... confrontations especially. Treading in silence she felt a small burst of wind sweep her hair across her face. Calhoun noticed she was nearly back where she began. A familiar light, faint and small, poked around the corner. Calhoun released a deep sigh as she found herself holding her breath. Before she turned the corner and faced the broken child.. she put on a stone face to hide her emotions,

for Calhoun the Sargent had no emotions.

Spinning around to the opening she glanced around. Expecting more spite-filled words she braced herself by squinting her eyes a tad. Stupid reactions...

But nothing came.

Confused, she opened her eyes to view the slab of rock where she had left the Sugar-coated kid. Her eyes grew wide as she realized she was not there. Calhoun danced in circles to see if the Kid has hidden herself from view. That had to be it.

"Kid..."

Only silence replied to her call.

"Look, quit being funny. Get out here before I drag you out myself. I _KNOW_ you won't like that short-stuff.." Calhoun stated flatly. Attempting to play her concern as if she was just becoming more irritated.

However, there was still no answer.

"HEY! I said to move your carcass soldier! When I say move..for Mod's sake.. _**MOVE**_!" She raised her voice hoping it would shock the kid into giving a reply. She could not shake the feeling of unease she possessed deep in her code. Walking closer to Vanellope's previous position on the ground she found something out of place. Footprints.

Fear shot through her code when she concluded that the kid could walk.

"DAMMIT! She was supposed to stay put, " Calhoun seethed through her clenched teeth. Running along by the smaller pair of footprints she followed them until a new passage stared her in the face.

"She wouldn't..." Calhoun trailed off.

She messed with the flashlight in her right hand to intensify the beam of light that pierced the darkness ahead, and her face fell as she saw the footsteps continued. Trailing along she began down the path looking for precautions until a noise unnerved her completely as her face contorted with anxiety.

A faint, but distinct roar pierced the silence, and it did not sound happy. Faster than a blue colored hedgehog she raced towards the sound pulling out her pistol from the place on her hip. She was going to need it.

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**Wow, Four chapters in less than 24 hours. I'm on a roll! At this rate I wouldn't be surprised if I was finished by the end of this week. I am on Spring Break.. and I'm already staying up past two in the morning writing this stuff. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**


	5. Chapter 5

I stayed up so late to finish this. You guys have no idea how much I've wanted to write this chapter! I get chills just thinking about it. I hope you enjoy this chapter almost as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

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"Pfft, what was I ever scared of. The Dark?!" Vanellope chuckled.

For a ways, Vanellope shuffled her feet forward slowly with outstretched hands. At a certain point, she even had the insane idea of going back.  
There was no way she could do that now.  
She was desperate to prove to Calhoun that she wasn't a weakling that deserved to die alone..that she was useful and strong.. that she was better than her. In all honesty, it was more herself than Calhoun that she was trying to convince.  
Her little episode back in the central cavern had shaken her confidence to the very core. She was desperately finding ways to restore it.

Eventually, Vanellope reached a point in the narrow passage way that received a small, yet comforting amount of light from various amounts of glow pops fixed in the walls. Her ability to see once again relieved her greatly as she began to smile at small and insignificant things.  
She was going to make it out okay. She knew it. She felt it in her code.

That was all she needed.

Vanellope rapidly picked up speed. Racing through the passage she felt amazing, wind bellowing through her dark, sprinkled hair, heart accelerating to pump the adrenaline and sugar in her code. There was nothing that could stop her.

That was.. until she tripped and lost her balance.

"PpFfft!?" Vanellope swallowed a heap of fudge and pop rocks that crinkled in her mouth.

Beads of candy flew out of her mouth as if they were discarded shells of sunflower seeds.  
Eyes narrowed, Vanellope quickly shifted her head to glance out of the corners of her eyes what initiated her fall.  
A heap of black licorice roots greeted her gaze as they intertwined around her boot, effectively trapping her foot.

"GAH!... I am FED UP with this stupid CAVE! Can anything else GO WRONG?!" Vanellope frustratingly whined. Losing her temper she grabbed at the roots and pulled them out with such aggression and violence. Flinging black licorice roots to her left and right she vented her anger. Pulling out a longer root Vanellope rotated her arm around her shoulder to release it along with the others, but this time. She forgot to open her hand to release it from her death clenching grasp.

_**"KkechHaAW!"**_

The frightening noise caused Vanellope's heart to leap several feet away from her chest, efficiently forcing her uprooting to cease.

Puzzled, Vanellope scanned the passage for anything that would cause the unpleasant crack, yet the only things in the vicinity were herself and the licorice she held onto. Fear passed over her in a wave as she rapidly raised her hands to her face. The stick of licorice still in hand, A noise cracked the wall beside her eardrum.

"GAHH! Vanellope flew to her feet and dropped the black piece of candy. Pressing her tiny frame against the opposite wall, she eyes the candy up and down. Finally deciding that it was harmless unless used, Vanellope grasped the limp stick back into her palm. Vanellope then let out a huge grin, beaming her pearly whites as an idea began to take shape into her mind.

Grabbing other roots in the area she pulled up, Vanellope got to work.

"You gotta tie this over to the right.. no.. left..That's right. Attach this here, side that under there.. AND VOILA!" Vanellope smiled to herself.

A black candy licorice whip was held up by Vanellope Link style as she flipped her new contraption back and fourth.

"Ha-ha! This is great! See! You don't need that stupid Sarge. You have a weapon now!"

"Aww! This is so SWEET!" The little girl continued excitedly.  
Unable to control her excitement, she cracked the whip on the walls beside her as she followed the lead of the tunnel.

"KCHAW! WHIPPAW! Take that! And That!" she danced the whip in the air slapping it back and fourth. The noise that only moments ago sent shivers up her spine fulled her with a child-like wonder.

"AND TAKE THAT!" She whipped to her left at the outcropping of the wall. Taking another step forward, Vanellope realized that something was out of place. Immediately pausing, she rotated her head around with confusion slapped across her features. Vanellope shrugged it off as nothing than continued down the tunnel.

Then she saw it.

Out of the corner of her eye, the wall to her left inched a millimeter forward. She did a double- take to reassure herself she was just seeing things. Positioning herself closer to the wall, she raised her right hand and slowly...touched it.

Retreating her hand with a sharp gasp that pierced the silent air, Panic rose in her code.  
The wall, it was slimy.

_Rrumbblle..._

Vanellope's eyes grew wide as her gaze followed the wall that was now rising to the sky. The tunnel she just moments ago believed herself to be inside opened up into a large opening. The wall raised itself high nearly reaching the ceiling towering above her.  
Then...the front half split in two revealing hundreds of saw-like razor teeth.

Her eyes trailed back down to obtain the full view of the monster, but it's long neck disappeared into a pit of sand in the middle of the open cavern room.

she lost her breath as she realized that the monster only mere feet away from her was the fabled Sand- Gummie-Wyrm.

Overcome with fear, Vanellope rang out a shrill scream, successfully pissing off the sand Wyrm to focus on its new snack.  
The monster lunged its massive head, jaws agape, to grasp Vanellope between its teeth. Vanellope, However, glitched away in the nick of time.

Their deadly dance continued, but the Wyrm became dangerously closer with every snap, every lunge, and every dive. Vanellope glitched to the left attempting to avoid him again, but the Wyrm was already set where her glitch would release and she would stand next. Another moment passed by. Vanellope's glitch released.  
The jaws of the monster shadowed her face. Spinning around to run, Vanellope's leg was snapped into it's jaws.

**"AAAGGGHHH!**"

Vanellope released a wail of intense pain that shot up her small leg. Crashing into the ground she lunged her arms out for something to grab a hold of, but she clawed at pure air and sand. Her stomach dropped as the monster lifted his head, towering above the bedrock with her leg still trapped firmly in between two massive chompers.

Hanging upside down and blood rushing to her head she felt as if she was going to be sick. She knew this was the end and she hoped her fate of becoming Wyrm food executed fast and painless. She felt the edge of her consciousness slipping from loss of blood.  
She slowly began to drift-

"BANG, BANG, BANG," Three loud pops snapped Vanellope back awake. Something strange happened and-

"WHAHH!" Vanellope screamed as the monster loosened its clinch on her leg and she slipped from its grasp, falling nearly a hundred feet to the hard ground below.

_**"VANELLOPE!"**_ she heard her name shouted from afar.

Inches from the bedrock, Vanellope felt the air sharply release from her lungs as a heavy force barreled at her side and rolled on top of her. The source of the brute force that rammed her side was a tall, sleek frame with messy blonde hair atop her head.

"**MOVE!**" Calhoun ordered in Vanellope's direction.

Vanellope pushed her legs underneath her, but released a sharp cry when she attempted to pull forward her injured leg.  
Calhoun realized that the girl sprawled out in a limp heap officially becoming a sitting duck.

"I SAID MOVE LUNCH-MEAT!" Calhoun screamed at her, hoping she would run in fear of her, but continued to lie there.  
Head rotating back to the monster, Calhoun realized it was mere nanoseconds away from pulling Vanellope into the sand with it.  
Quick to action, Calhoun did a barrel roll to the left away from Vanellope and the monster and raised her firearm. The split second the jaws were open, Calhoun shot three final rounds down its throat.  
The monster gave one last roar, then collapsed beside the limp body of Vanellope before it was pulled in and under by the nesquick sand. Lost forever.

Calhoun lowered her gun back into its holster and sprinted to Vanellope. Rolling the young girl over onto her back she scanned the body for any signs of life. She pressed her head against her chest to listen in close. Relief filled her entirely when she located a rhythmic beat inside of her. Calhoun raised her head once more and let it hover above the kid, gazing up and down to look for any life threatening wounds. Then she saw her leg.  
Calhoun was utterly shocked by the sight of it. She moved a hand to hover over it until a sharp pang hit her hand away.  
"What the-" Calhoun looked confused at her hand. Her eyes narrowed a bit when she noticed that they were slapped away.  
Rolling her eyes over, Calhoun saw the intense look she received from the small child. Her eyes were so filled with disgust and hatred that Calhoun's eyes grew wide once more and her brows furrowed in confusion and a small dosage of hurt.

"Don't touch me," Vanellope seethed.

It was Calhoun's turn to be taken aback by the amount of Venom she pulsated through every word. The anger in this small girl's voice brought back the feeling of dread from when she was in the central cavern.

"Vanellope, you are hurt. I need to treat your wound." Calhoun stated, words flowing like water from her mouth. Her eyes winced when she glanced back at the wound. She reached out for her leg again, but Vanellope caught her before she could get there. Raising the front half of her body up, Vanellope pressed both of her hands against the older woman's stomach and shoved as hard as she could.  
Calhoun rolled back from a sitting position to her side against the earth. She balled up her fist and pounded the ground. She pushed herself onto her knees and began to unbuckle her chest armor. Vanellope took this opportunity to crawl away, but it wasn't long before she stopped from the intense pain in her leg. Her eyes glanced behind her to Calhoun and saw instead of her chest armor she had on a black under-armor long sleeved shirt. The very next beat, she ripped a sleeve from its place on her arm. She tore in into a few more shreds before she crawled hands and knees to grab Vanellope's stomach to reel her back, cradling her in her arms to prevent her from moving.  
This, however, was Vanellope's breaking point.

"LET ME GO! DON'T TOUCH ME!...I SAID TO LET..GO!" Vanellope shrieked into Calhoun's ear. Calhoun pretended that she didn't hear the kid.

Vanellope balled her hands into fists and flailed them at Calhoun. Most hit her chest and arms, but when a fist crashed into her cheek she grabbed Vanellope's arm to cease the unwanted tantrum the furious child was throwing.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT VANELLOPE?! YOU WANNA BLEED OUT AND **_DIE_** IN MY ARMS?! HUH?! BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU DON"T _**STOP IT**_!" Calhoun screamed in the girl's face as she looked up and gave an ugly glare at Calhoun and uttered three simple words.

"I hate you."

Calhoun could not hide the shock and pain written all over her face when Vanellope said those three little words. She became distrought when she knew Vanellope recognized the emotion on her face and eyes grew in confusion. Calhoun quickly spun her head away and released her grip on the child. Vanellope shoved herself out of Calhoun's arms and whimpered as she crawled away and against the wall. Settled, she glanced back up at Calhoun to see she hadn't moved an inch. her bangs shadowed her face at she looked at the ground. Vanellope looked away.

"I'm sorry." Calhoun whispered in a tone barely audible.

Vanellope's eyes darted back up to the woman in front of her. She looked around and decided to speak up.

"What?" Vanellope whispered as well.

It took a moment for Calhoun to reply.

"I-...I'm sorry. Everything I said to you.. I was..I..."  
Tch. This was harder than it looked.

Calhoun didn't continue on for a long amount of time.  
Vanellope gave up and rolled her eyes. She faced in the other direction, her back faced towards Calhoun.

"I don't blame you."

This startled Vanellope a bit as she rolled her head to the side so she could see Calhoun out of the corner of her eyes.

"For hating me I mean, I'm a real pain in the- ...butt." Calhoun whispered, face still hidden from view. Vanellope was getting tired of this, she started to turn her head back around.. but stopped.

"My fiance was..killed." Calhoun stated flatly. Vanellope, peaking some interest, paid attention to her words.

"I don't mean to be this way, I...I don't mean to hurt people, I try to push them away. I see horrific things everyday, but losing someone you care about... That's a different story."

"You become cold.. and...and distant. It is a wonder I am dating Fix-it. I swore I'd never let someone in again. It is too p-...painful. Calhoun's voice cracked ever the slightest.  
Calhoun raised her head to look eye to eye with Vanellope to show her how serious she was. The small racer quickly inhaled air from the shock of what she just saw.  
Her..her eyes were near ready to spill over with tears. She lowered her gaze once more.

"Hate me all you want Vanellope. I won't say that I don't care because I think I would be lying, but let me patch you up and you can leave."  
Calhoun felt a small hand on her crossed legs, and glanced up through her bangs. Vanellope gazed into her eyes with a look of understanding. With that, she climbed into her arms.  
Calhoun reached for the straps she had made and began to tend to her wound.

Vanellope sucked in a large amount of air and grabbed Calhoun's shoulder pulling her closer into her arms when Calhoun rubbed anti- infection on her leg. Calhoun glanced down at the child as she cradled her in her arms. Vanellope's eyes began to water and spill over with tears.

" Almost done." Calhoun informed as she began to wrap the leg with her shredded shirt.  
The pain was almost to much to bear and Vanellope dug her head into Calhoun's chest as she believed she needed to hold tight to make the pain go away.  
Calhoun finished up and attempted to lift the kid onto her one good leg, but she realized that Vanellope had fallen asleep. Cradled in her arms.

Calhoun just gazed at her. her head was screaming to put down the kid and leave, yet for one moment. Just one moment... Calhoun looked at what her heart wanted. If she was honest. she didn't want to move.  
Calhoun turned her head towards the exit passage.  
She gingerly attempted to lay Vanellope down on the ground to sleep, but half awake, Vanellope tugged at her shirt.  
"Don't.." Vanellope sleepily trailed off.  
Calhoun removed her hand from clenching her shirt and placed the girl on the ground.

She then turned and left.

Vanellope jolted awake and panic rose from her core. Afraid that Calhoun left her alone. again. She tried to move, but her leg was still unable to be moved yet. Tears welled up in her eyes as anxiety hit her. She was about to release a sharp scream, but out of the corner of her vision.. she saw Calhoun re- appear from the passage.

Confused, the racer just stared at the Sargent..her eyes scrunched up with accusation.

Calhoun saw the way Vanellope looked at her. She stopped moving and dropped what she was holding in her arms. A mass of licorice roots fell to the floor. Calhoun dug into her back pocket only to bring out a lighter. She struck the device to reveal a small flame. Pressing it against the roots they began to catch fire and immediately share their warmth. She then glanced over at Vanellope.

" If we are going to sleep.. then we might as well keep warm."

Vanellope's look retreated back into a sleepy face. Calhoun fixed them both a place to sleep. She walked over to Vanellope and picked her up in her arms. Gently, she laid her down on the make-shift bed. Next, she headed to her spot right beside Vanellope. Settling in Calhoun saw the young child drift off to sleep. Calhoun too, drifted away from consciousness.

* * *

Calhoun woke up with a start as beads of sweat rolled down her forehead as she relived the same nightmare.. night after night. She attempted to switch positions and fall back asleep, but something was holding her back. Glancing down at her stomach, Vanellope curled into arms were wrapped around her waist. Shocked by the sight, Calhoun didn't know what to do. She thought about pushing her back into her bed, but she didn't want to wake her. With a deep sigh, Calhoun settled into her new position, and wrapped her arms around the young girl. With another sigh that passed her lips that were now slightly upturned... she fell asleep once more.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey There! Sorry it took me a while to post this next chapter. The last seventeen days of school can be some of the busiest. Hope you guys enjoy! Don't forget to post a review :) .**

* * *

There was no sun. No beautiful; entrancing light that danced along the trees and stems along the path of the world above them. However, It was there. Out of sight, yet Calhoun felt it was greeting many to another day of events and experiences.

How did she know this? Well, for starters she was awake.

Yes, sure as rain she was awake. Her eyes remained tightly shut nevertheless. Her being expressed that a new day had already begun. This did not mean that she wanted to start it yet.

A shiver ran along her body as the cool cavern around her whistled an empty breeze. It was then she realized Vanellope was no longer wrapped around her frame. Fear rose from deep in her gut. Calhoun shut off the feeling as she came to realize there was absolutely no way Vanellope would run off once more. Yes, they still might not be on equal terms, but Vanellope's recently gashed leg eased the worry of department.

A sigh whispered through Calhoun's slightly parted lips as she realized she would have to get up soon and face the world she was stuck in once more, yet... Calhoun continued to feign sleep to sort out some imposing matters at hand.

"What now?" Calhoun's eyes squinted as she continued to think resting on her side against the cool cavern floor.

"Now that me has become we... where do we go from here?"

Calhoun's mind continued to ask quiet questions of this nature, but no real answer settled into its place.

Quiet rustling jarred Calhoun's eyes open. No unwanted squinting took place as they often do in early mornings for the lack of light made it easy on her eyes to open. The rustling hushed as soon as her eyes were open.

"I thought you were a soldier? Isn't sleeping in a big No-No for you people?" Vanellope questioned as Calhoun levered her arms to raise just the front half of her body upward to glance at the faint glow resting on Vanellope's features.

Calhoun released a slight groan.

"Good morning to you too, Sunshine. " Calhoun huffed. Words came out of her mouth a bit strange as it was her first sentence of the day.

Vanellope pursed her lips together and directed her gaze elsewhere.

To Calhoun's unpleasant awareness, Vanellope still had a sore spot with her.  
Calhoun glanced around, attempting to come up with words to fill the awkward; empty air surrounding the two of them.

Calhoun cleared her throat and picked up a conversation starter.

"So...got any ideas to shoot about us getting outta here?" She started.

Vanellope glanced in her direction and paused for a few moments.  
Finally, she responded to Calhoun's effort to get her to talk.

"No."

Calhoun squinted her eyes at the flatness of her response. It unsettled her a bit, so she continued on.

"Well, this place is from your game...Right?...Have you maybe..Ever seen it before?"

"No."

"Okay, well... looking at the soil, could you maybe identify what location might be upon the surface righ-"

"**No**." Vanellope cut in before Calhoun even finished her question. This did not settle in her as well as the first two did.

"Look, I'm trying to get us out of here. I know a lot has happened, but would you please be a dear and try to participate so we can get out of here faster." She retorted at Vanellope.

At any rate, Vanellope seemed as if she wasn't paying one cent of attention to Calhoun. Nearly about to snap once more at the quizzical girl, Calhoun opened her mouth to repeat herself. Before anything left her open mouth, Vanellope's question she had been pondering for a time drove itself in the open first.

"Why do you hate me?"

The unexpected nature of the question left Calhoun stunned for a spell, unable to respond right away. She glanced away for a moment and silently ran over her thoughts with much confusion.

"Ya know kid.. I was about to ask you the same thing about me." She stated honestly.  
This, However, did not phase Vanellope ask the very next beat she responded.

"I asked first."

Calhoun inhaled deeply and released the air swelled up in her lungs with a great sigh as if she grew tired of the question.

"I don't hate you Vanellope."

"Yeah?! Well, why did you say those mean things to me when we were above ground? Why did you leave me to die? Why did you not listen when I CRIED for you to **STOP**?!" Vanellope's anxiety grew as her questions continued.

"I did listen."

Vanellope's labored breathing began to slow.

"Trust me, I tried to stop listening. I didn't want to cause you pain. I left you there because nothing would attack you, nothing would hurt you. "

Vanellope's hurt glare never ceased to let up, so Calhoun continued.

"Vanellope, I never hated yo-"

"Then, why did you say I was slow?"

"Because you cheated"

Vanellope's hurt expression plastered upon her face contorted into confusion as well.

"I didn't cheat." she stated plainly.

Calhoun huffed at the girl. Vanellope's pride wasn't going to crumble.

"Vanellope...Without your glitch, you would have placed fifth yesterday. Not first."

"Nuh- Uh!" Vanellope quickly cut in.

"Yes, you would have. The other kid..uggh, whasit? Oh! Swadzle! ...No, Swizzle. " Calhoun struggled for a name.

"He is the slowest kid out there. First to get knocked out every time, yet he would have beaten you if not for your magical power." Calhoun pretended to sprinkle magic fairy dust over the child's head in approval of her statement.

Vanellope's anger began to stir up dangerously once more.

" I AM BETTER THAN EVERY STUPID RACER ON THAT RACE TRACK! " Vanellope inched her face closer to Calhoun's for emphasis and screamed in it.

"Then PROVE IT!" Calhoun shouted in return.

"Maybe I WILL!" Vanellope grabbed a nearby licorice stick to prop herself up and she began to hop towards a nearby tunnel entrance.  
Anger completely evaporated from Calhoun as water would. scrambling to her feet, she jogged over to Vanellope and skidded on her knees to greet Vanellope eye to eye. Calhoun gently placed her hands on Vanellope's shoulders and questioned where in the world she thought she was headed.

"Look, Miss Sleep-Like-A-Log. While you were in la-la land dozing away I sorta... grabbed your flashlight and looked around." Vanellope grew hesitant to finish as the concern on Calhoun's face grew with every new word spoken. The largeness of her eyes startled Vanellope. She felt regretful for a moment out of concern that drew itself on every inch of The woman's face not far from her own.

"Vanellope.. Don't you ever, Don't even think about doing that again. " Calhoun whispered.  
The serious voice expressed itself to Vanellope.  
In other circumstances. Vanellope would be upset and grow angry that she was ordering her around. Yet, Vanellope heard something in her voice that erased any anger she held against the order.

Was that..fear? Did she hear Fear in the other woman's voice?

"I-I Found... I found something," Vanellope started up again. Calhoun's eyes focused in. Curiosity began to separate her fear for a moment. She seized it and replied.

"What?! Did you find an exit?!" her face lit up. Curious, she leaned in more and grasped Vanellope's shoulders slightly tighter.

"No..Even better!" Vanellope beamed.

Waiting for a response, Calhoun squinted her eyes in confusion and shifted her head. What could be better than getting out of here? Vanellope's smile actually began to grow.

"It's just down here," Vanellope gestured her head down the tunnel. "It will go faster if you carry me" Vanellope regretted to utter those words as she wished she could be strong enough to walk on her own. However, the ground dropped from under the sole of her good foot and she was propped against the older woman's hip. Vanellope didn't care at this point.. she begun to herd Calhoun down the tunnel until they reached the end where the compressed cave splits itself open into a fairly large opening.

Glancing around, Calhoun's heart sank as she saw absolutely nothing. In contrary, Vanellope's heart gave rise. She motioned for the Sargent to place her on the ground. Calhoun nodded in agreement and did so. Vanellope hobbled on until something caused her to stop.  
Calhoun must have missed something. Calling the girl's name out in puzzlement. Vanellope spun around and gave a large toothy grin in her direction. Her arms spread out at her sides to gesture to the entirety of the opening. Calhoun continued to squint, very perplexed by everything.  
Vanellope then released a large sigh. Then responded to Calhoun's confusion.  
"It's a race track. Ah-Doy!" Vanellope stated on a matter-of-fact way.


	7. Chapter 7

"It's a race track. Ah-Doy!" Vanellope stated on a matter-of-fact way.

Calhoun curious glance stopped short on the young girl's features as she revealed her mysterious surprise. Her eyes grew wide and gleamed a small amount of irritation. She leaned forward to become slightly above eye level with the dirty haired girl and spoke in a hushed tone.

"You wanna run that by me again, Half-Pint."

Vanellope lowered her arms she raised in excitement only a few moments earlier. Not enjoying the older woman's tone she proceeded to scrunch her face into an angry pout.

"What is there to run by you? I found a track.."

Vanellope continued, but Calhoun's face made no resolutions in its confusion as well as irritation.

"Do you even know what that means?" questioned Vanellope.

Calhoun gave an exasperated sigh and lazily gazed down from atop the girl's raven hair.

"How about instead of wastin' precious seconds, you just tell me."

Rolling her eyes at the Sargent, Vanellope concluded the meaning of the hidden track level.

"One way or the other, All Tracks are connected. "

Vanellope paused as Calhoun's face slowly lit up and beamed as if it were a beacon in the night. She had never imagined she would ever see her face light up like that moment. Vanellope left an open space in her explanation to give way for the Sarge to pop in and finish for her. She knew she was going to anyways.

"And that means," Her smile grew wider. "Following these tracks, we are gonna.."

"Find our way out" They finished together.

In a surge of happiness, Calhoun's hands wrapped around Vanellope's waist as she pulled her from her spot from the rocky, dusty track spiraling around them. She engulfed her in a fierce embrace and twirled in rapid spins a few go- around Everything executed itself so quickly, all Vanellope could do was to throw out a few giggles as she spun around.  
After a few moments, Calhoun ceased her twirls. She continued to grasp onto Vanellope, but pulled away so she could look at her in the face. Red color crept up her now rosy cheeks. Embarrassed she acted in such a showful exclamation of emotion, she placed Vanellope back onto to ground gently.

"Uhh..Sorry about that, Kiddo." Calhoun apologized quickly and spun back around to look for the exit, but Vanellope stood there with her hand clamping her mouth. She was doing her absolute best not to burst into a violent fit of giggles and laughter.

"Ya know, I didn't know you even had teeth! I've never seen you smile before!" Vanellope giggled.

"Yeah?" Calhoun questioned back with a sly smirk that danced across her face.

"Don't get used to it, Fun-Size" She teased playfully at the girl.

Focusing her attention back into the matter of finding an exit, Calhoun pressed on. Vanellope, however, directed herself in a different direction.  
Scanning every wall in the spacious cavern, Calhoun soon became wary. Every inch of the place she had circled twice, yet there was no extra path to be found. Concern grew on her features as she realized Vanellope could have been wrong. Her heart sank at the thought.

"Vanellope?" She aimed to locate the small child once more.

"Yeah?" her voice echoed back in a distant section of the cavern.

"I thought you said there was a connection to the other tracks," She stated, unsure that the statement was even true at this point in time.

"I did." Vanellope called back plain as day, as if the statement cleared up all issues.

"Well," Calhoun started, growing exhausted of Vanellope's short answers. "Where in the name of Fun would it be?"

Only silence replied to her question. Vanellope was shrouded in darkness on the other side of the cavern room, so Calhoun was unable to locate her.

"Hey Short-Stuff! I asked you-"

"You really didn't think you were gonna find it on foot, did ya?"

Calhoun gasped at the voice that arose behind her out of no where. Startled forward a bit, she rotated around to Vanellope at her heels.

"What did you expect me to think?! The road was magically going to appear?"

"Well, that was what I was sorta hoping for," Vanellope confessed.

The response shook Calhoun, even though she has come to expect answers of that nature. The mind of a child was a mysterious thing. She rubbed her temple and trailed it over her face as a low groan escaped her throat.

"Oh fun, we are never going to get out of here, are we Pint-Size?" Calhoun bellyached.

"Not if you sit there and complain all day Sargent Whiny pants."  
Vanellope stood up and hobbled away. Calhoun rubbed her entire face with both hands out of exasperation and stood up to follow. A brief trip to an area of Hershey's Kisses rocks on the other side of the room is where the two took off to. Vanellope crouched in front of a Kiss only to grab the closest sharp pebble and repeatedly smashed it into the Kiss.

She knew she did not want to ask any more than she wanted to receive a completely illogical answer. Rolling her eyes, Calhoun bent beside the tiny racer to even just attempt to piece together what in mods name was she doing. Feeling the confused stare drill into her back, Vanellope cocked her head over her shoulder to glance at the Sarge. Knowing she had better explain herself pretty soon, she spoke up.

"Look, whether you think this is dumb or not, I know how to make a Kart. I've done it thousands of times before. We're going to need it to get out of here, so either sit like a gumdrop on a candy cane branch, like what you are doing right now, or you can-"

Vanellope's sentence was cut short as the back of her hoodie yanked her into the air and around a weapon ready Sarge.  
Without a split-second to even blink, Calhoun fired a piercing stream of red light from her weapon. The glow from the laser beam engulfed them both in a brilliant red glow that blanketed their prominent features. The focused beam sliced through the Kiss with ease. Calhoun continued to carve out the faint form Vanellope already made around the frame of the side section of the Go-Kart. Another moment passed and the side frame fell to the ground from the Kiss as a shell would crack off an egg.  
Shifting her head to the side to focus her attention on Vanellope, Calhoun raised her large fire-arm into the air and shifted her weight onto one leg to lean on her hip. She gave a small grin at the sugar-coated kid.

"I can't make the frames, but I'll slice them out for you Kiddo. How about we get crackin'" Calhoun informed Vanellope.  
The young girl beamed her pearly whites up at the older woman.

"Sweet!"

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**Thank You to Everyone who continues to post reviews :) . I hope you continue to like my story. I would have never have imagined I would keep the ball rolling like this. Thanks, and don't forget to continue to post reviews! I really love to read them!**


	8. Chapter 8

_What was it?_

_I didn't quite understand._

_Whatever it was...It was beyond me._  
_-_

Calhoun lowered her pulsing light wave from the chilled chocolate surface as she glanced through the wisps of her silky golden hair over at the young racer completely and utterly focused at the task at hand. She then raised her head to the empty ceiling in her drabble of daydreams and wonder.  
-

_I can't help but laugh._

_or admire._

_That kid...tsk_

_I don't know where it comes from,_

_she has a lot of spirit, that one._

_She never gives up..._

_So, _  
_What is it?_

_What drives her? Why is she so determined?_

_What kind of a path has she been on?_

_Who is she?_

-  
Vanellope extended her left hand for the framework of the Steering wheel from Calhoun as her right hand was sealing the dashboard in place and correcting the "sticky" gear stick, yet her hand twirled around in the empty space around it as Calhoun kept her head in the clouds.  
"Would you mind!" Vanellope's muffled warning bellowed from her head beneath the dash.

"Are yo- Gah!" She stopped in a huff as her forehead swiftly made contact with the dash above it.

Rubbing her temples, Vanellope glanced upward at Calhoun from her squinting right eye.

Observing her face for only a moment revealed Calhoun's eyes glazed over in a daze; the reflection of her own thoughts cranking inside her head.

Vanellope's faced scrunched with annoyance as her eyes narrowed in disbelief.  
She retreated back under the Dash to retrieve her handy Hershey's handmade trusty tool wrench.  
With one swift motion of her arm she hurled the tool at the side of the sergeant's head.

"**THWACK**!"

"Direct contact!" cheered Vanellope fist pumping the air in delight

Her left cheekbone swelled under her gentle touch rubbing the throbbing angle of her face.

Directly facing Vanellope, Calhoun glared the girl down with a frightful scowl,  
"Why I outta-!"

"Would you focus your attention for two seconds and stop thinking about Hammertime!

"I Wasn't-"

"Save It, Sargent Sappy Pants! I know you miss him and all, but ya'know the sooner you can actually participate in anything the sooner you can see your booooyyyyffriend again."

"Is that right?" Calhoun huffed, giving up arguing about where her thoughts actually lay, as she turned the carved out wheel to the young girl.

"Pfft," Vanellope giggled,  
"Course I'm right!" Vanellope turned and smirked a knowing grin up at the Sargent as she retrieved the wheel piece.

Calhoun smiled silently behind Vanellope as she turned her attention back on the task at hand.

"Umm.. Can I ask you a personal question?"Vanellope started as she didn't stop tinkering with the wheel being pieced together on the dashboard.

"Hmm?" Calhoun hummed, signaling to Vanellope she was attentive to what she had to say.

"Why did you... Never mind. Forget it." Vanellope attempted to brush her question aside as if it was not a big deal.  
Calhoun took notice however.

Gliding her thumb and index finger over the girl's candy crusted, Raven hair letting Vanellope know to heed attention to her, Calhoun spoke softly.  
"No,"  
"I want to hear it. Start again."

Vanellope huffed with defeat.

"Why did you.."She rolled her eyes up at Calhoun in question as if she had to continue.

"Go on. I'm listening."

Purposely avoiding eye contact with Calhoun, Vanellope gazed into the emptiness of the cave on her left.

"I just wanted to know how you fell in love with..Felix." Vanellope questioned, directing her eyes back upon the Sargent once more.

Dazed by the obscurity of the question and how unrelated this topic was, Calhoun pursed her lips and paused for a beat.  
"I.."

"Look, I know it might seem weird.. but I'm curious. You and Felix.. You and Felix are" Vanellope huffed with amusement as Calhoun lowered into a squat to accommodate her tiny figure and ever so slightly smiled ahead. Eyes attentive and focused on Vanellope ready to answer the statement she KNEW was coming.

"Absolutely nothing alike!" Vanellope shifted her head in wonder.

Calhoun glanced away and smiled to herself at the thought of the tiny, Eight Bit Hero. She lowered herself even further, crossing her legs as she motioned for Vanellope to do the same, and focused completely of Vanellope.

"Well... You see... I.." Calhoun trailed off, struggling for words. She paused to think for a moment.

"What about your dead Fiancee?" Vanellope piped up, catching Calhoun's attention.

"Was he anything like Felix?" She wondered.

Calhoun looked away and contorted her face in sheer puzzlement after coming to a conclusion she never came to before.

"Actually. No."

Surprised by the answer, Vanellope leaned forward ready to hear more.

"Brad,"

"Your dead Fiancee?"

"My dead fiancee... he... was the polar opposite of Fix-It Felix Jr... "Her gaze lowered as she was astounded by her own statement.

"What was he like?"

Breathing deeply, Calhoun ran her memories of a life she felt distant from.

"He was..Valiant. Brave,bold, strong, and true."

She swallowed, mustering up the strength to continue.

"Completely Rash, absolutely reckless at times. He had a strong will."

"He was such the ladies man.." She continued as Vanellope observed her face slowly contort into more confusion.

"I..I remember when I first began in my unit.. he was always gazing at my six." Her face grimaced.

Vanellope, Utterly confused questioned Calhoun  
"What's a six?"

"My butt." She rolled her eyes. Vanellope's face paled.

"He charmed his way through every grim situation he ran into. He became really..Arrogant." Calhoun's eyes widened in disbelief.

"He was a true leader though. Very much an Alpha personality."

"No Way!" Vanellope halted Calhoun in her tracks.

"What's wrong!" Calhoun answered astonished at the outburst.

"Did you guys argue a lot? I bet you all the swirly gumdrops in my hair you did." Vanellope exclaimed as she crossed her arms knowingly.

Calhoun focused on the ground beneath her as she traveled back in thought.

The air around her changed within a brief moment. Every drop of perplex-ion retreated from Calhoun's Icy, Crystal blue eyes. In its stead a new emotion rose. Her clouded eyes cleared, blown away with bewilderment at the final understanding of her dark past she never came upon before now.

"No, we never argued once." She stated in a flat monotone voice.

"Not to sound..Judgey, but he sounds sorta awful. Why did you stay with him?" Vanellope sincerely questioned.

Locking eyes with Vanellope brought a serious undertone that alerted Vanellope to Calhoun's new understanding.

A pause shrouded the two with an unbearable silence that was pleading to be broken.

"Vanellope," Calhoun's breathing slowed, rising the hairs on the back of Vanellope's neck

"I don't think I would have." Calhoun shivered, causing Vanellope's eyes to enlarge with concern.

That one sentence caused her more pain that she could remember feeling for a long time. That one sentence went against everything she was programmed for and what she once believed. And it hurt.

Boy, did it hurt.

"Wha-What do you mean?" Vanellope stuttered.

" I mean Brad and I."

"There is no way we could have worked. Our personalities are to similar. He would want to be right all the time... but so would I."

"Did you ever try to be right?"

Calhoun's eyes intensified only in the slightest.

"No,"

"I think I know why though..." Calhoun trailed off. Capturing every last bit of the young racer's attention.

"I think the Idiot programmers of mine shared the thought that all women must be submissive torwards men.. or their husbands at least."

"What. I don't unde-" Vanellope began

"I don't think I would have chosen Brad on my own, Vanellope, Is what I'm attempting to say." Calhoun shot straightforward.

Vanellope's face tightened, contorted with sympathy for the older woman she faced.

"Look at me." She rolled off her tongue, pressed with disbelief. Vanellope hesitantly glanced up at the older woman.

"My deepest fears, my coldest nights, the source of every drop of pain I live with Everyday of my life sprouts from a program that..

**THAT DOESN'T. EVEN. EXIST**!" She spat. Rubbing her face in her hands.

All of a sudden, a ring of warmth rolled around her wrists, drawing them away from her face that was stinging with the threat of tears.

She focused her saddened eyes on the frightened young girl doing everything in her power to prevent her from crumbling apart.

What did she do to ever deserve that.

" When I lost Brad..I had nothing."

"When I lost him, all meaning from my life had drained. Completely."

Vanellope's grasp held on all the tighter. Glancing up at the child, Calhoun pursed her lips into a fragment of a smile, nearly untraceable.  
Attempting to calm herself by taking a deep breath her breathing shuttered in and out. She remembered a happy memory, and exhaled a short burst of air that could be traced back to a laugh.

"When I first met Felix. I nearly blasted him off the face of the Overworld."

Vanellope's eyes bulged as her face stiffened with confusion and horror.

"WHAT?!" Vanellope perked up.

Calhoun stifled a laugh. "I mistook him for a Cy-bug." she shrugged.

"I met him.." She paused for a beat.

" He..called my face amazing.. He called, Me, Amazing." She trailed off.

Vanellope's expression softened as Calhoun continued her story.

"I did my best to ignore him, believing he was some sort of new Idiot I had to deal with. In a way.. he was."

She turned to smirk at Vanellope.  
"I must say though, It did catch me off guard for the first time in my programmed life."

"Felix.. he is no stars and stripes hero. I get that."

"He was simple, not in any way an extravagant personality. Calm, Excitable,..Stubborn. Boy, was he stubborn, but only when he needed to be."

"He isn't all that brave. For Mod sakes, he is terrified of ducks!" Calhoun continued.

"You know, you're making the poor guy look pathetic." Vanellope started accusingly

"I know, that's what I first believed him to be." confessed Calhoun as she lowered her head in shame and thought.

"He is so much more though."

"For one, he is the most optimistic person I've ever met in any situation we've been placed in."

Vanellope grinned at the memory of the happy-go-lucky handyman.

"He is Gentle, Sweet, Caring, Patient, Loving.." She trailed off

"Felix fixed me. He brought meaning back into my life." Calhoun trailed back to the now distant memories of the time when she lived to fight for

something that didn't exist...Someone that didn't exist. The thought pulsed ice through her that chilled her to her very core.

"I've found I have something new to fight for. Something Real."  
Her voice broke for the first time as tears threatened to break through their liquid barrier.

"No, Felix isn't in anyway a gun-ho Hero like Brad was, but in his own way." She strained

"Felix is more of a hero than Brad could ever live up to be."

Ending in nothing more than a whisper, this statement shook her to her center. Her stomach flipped with anxiety as she began to feel lightheaded. She cradled her forehead in her hands and ran her fingers through her wispy hair as tears stained the rims of her leather gloves.

Vanellope recognized the physical strain it took her to realize this. This went against every fiber of her Data code. The strain uneased her to just sit and watch Calhoun struggle to come to a realization. Vanellope smiled though when she remembered what Ralph had once told her before.

_The Sugar Rush Gumdrop sunset was amazing at this time of the evening._  
_Ralph, settled on the side of a cliff, enormous feet dangling off the edge focused on the beauty as his game only portrayed the beauty of a night sky. Vanellope, Hanging upside down from a nearby tree, attempted to sneak up on her best friend in aims of startling him._

_"Vanellope, I want you to listen, OK."_

_Surprised he caught wind of her, she noisily dropped down from her perch and took seat beside the wrecker._

_"What? You need a change? Diaper-Baby?" Vanellope giggled_

_"Van, this is serious. I want you to hear me out." Ralph started_

_"Lemmie guess, you broke your house with your freakishly ginormous hands."_

_Even Ralph smirked at that one._

_"Van, don't ever change." his face focused back into a more serious expression._

_Catching the young girl off guard, Ralph received a curious glance from the Candy Crusted Kid._

_"There are going to be people out there who will try to make you believe you're nothing more than what humans programmed you to be."_

_Vanellope interceded, " Ralph, what are-"_

_"You're more than your Code."_

_"Trust me, I had to learn the hard way."_

_"Vanellope, It's going to hurt. It may even tear you apart."_

_Vanellope slowly trailed her eyes up to look at her best friend._

_"But, please. Don't forget that if we don't break away from our codes, we are nothing more than someone else's pastime."_

_Ceasing all comments, Vanellope kept silent. Startled by the statement that was just made, Vanellope focused once more._

_"How do you know?"_

_It was Ralph's turn to snicker. In it's stead he grinned and rotated his head to face Vanellope._

_" The best day of your life is the one which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to tell you what you can or can't do. It's all yours to decide."_

_Vanellope raised her eyebrows in curiosity._

_"That, Vanellope, is the day your life really begins."_

~~~~~  
Vanellope shuttered her breath at the sight of Calhoun.  
Broken, Shattered in front of her. It was enough to send someone on edge.

Shifting her position only inched from Calhoun's face buried in her hands.  
Vanellope collected her courage and whispered into Calhoun's face.

"You are more than your Code."

Stirring from her cradled position Calhoun shot her head up to face Vanellope. Her face as stone still and focused as it could be. Her chocolate creamy brown eyes locked on the crystal blue iris' of Calhoun's. The air around them stood at a standstill that prompted Calhoun to speak up.

"What" a whisper flowed from behind her chapped lips.

"Don't be afraid. I was..." Vanellope's voice trailed into a deep breath

Calhoun flickered her eyes into Vanellope's un-moving ones as she attempted to understand the focus and attention behind them.

"Someone once told me that if we never break from our codes, then we are only someone else's pastime."

Calhoun's breath caught in her throat at the stunning remark. Taking a small gulp she positioned herself to reply back.

"Vanellope,"

"The best day of your life is the one which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to tell you what you can or can't do. It's all yours to deci-"

Before Vanellope could even finish, Calhoun's warm arms wrapped around her and she leaned on the young girl in a desperate embrace. Calhoun's palm circled around her spine and her face nestled into her shoulder. Before she could even move, a still voice hummed into her shoulder.

"Thank You."

Vanellope grinned behind Calhoun's right ear as she snuggled into her warm embrace. It was a welcome motion as the chill air in the caverns surrounded them both. Vanellope climbed and seated herself into Calhoun's lap and retreated into her protective grasp.

Their position remained stationary for quite some time. The form at final, broke as Vanellope became limp with exhaustion and fell into the call of slumber.

Cradling the young girl, Calhoun cushioned them a place to sleep as she felt exhaustion begin to hinder her motion and blur her thoughts. The crisp air continued to nip her face as she fixed them both a comfortable resting place. Gently clasping the back of Vanellope's head, she lowered her onto the floor. Her thumb brushed her soft nose and left cheekbone.

Calhoun then wrapped herself protectively over her right side as Vanellope unconsciously nestled herself into Calhoun's warmth. Vanellope, already in deep slumber took no heed to Calhoun brushing her dark hair in pattern with her gentle fingertips until she could no longer hold up a fight to the Sirens of Sleep. Her vision blurred out and darkness overcame her vision. She could still feel the soft wisps of dark hair twirl around her soft palm.

**I Apologize for the unnecessary amount of time it took to post this new chapter up. I absolutely could not think of what to do next for this story, so I left it for a while. **

**Don't fret though. I know how I want this story to end. I guess I just needed a little time to decide what to do with it. Really sorry again! And I hope that most of you will stick with this story until the very end. Thanks!**

**~Alto **


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